jackpipe Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I would like to get a bird for our new house and I felt in love with AG. Since this is going to be our first bird I'm not quite sure if AG is my best choice. If owning Grey is not recommended for first timers what other parrot should I get? Let me tell you little bit about us as this may help you recommend the right bird for us. - I owned a dog for 10 years - we own a house in NJ in a quite neighborhood - we work 5 days/week - we are ~30y old with no kids yet but we are planing to have few - I spend a lot of time in front of my computer at home (2nd work). I'm only interested in parrots that can be trained, sing, etc... I'm not looking for a bird that will only make a lot of noise or make no noise at all and have no personality. As I mentioned above I spend a lot of time in my office at home and the parrot could keep me company here. Do you think I can own a Grey? If not any other recommendations? Or maybe I shouldn't get any birds? All feedback highly appreciated. JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hello and welcome to the family, Jackpipe, glad you could join us. We don't usually recommend a grey for a first parrot as they usually require a little more attention than just any bird. I would suggest that you do some research and reading to see if an african grey would be what you really want. I say this because it is a lifetime committment and we never like to see someone get one and then realize it was not suitable for them and then have to find it a new home. I personally got a sun conure first before I got my grey but we do have members who made a grey their first bird. You will find lots of useful and helpful information in the many threads here on this forum so read thru as many as you can and do not hesitate to ask us any specific questions you may have. We will do our best to get you an answer and help you in any way we can. Only you can make this decision but make sure you know what you are getting into before you committ to one. Greys are awesome pets and very rewarding to live with, just make sure it fits with you and your lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hi & Do a lot of research in to greys & then you will be able to make an informed decision on if a grey is right for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abdullah Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 welcome to the board buddy greys could be intimidating for a first timer , ive yet to own one and im dedicating whatever free time i have to reading more about them , but my mind is set on getting one ( owned parrots since i was a kid) even though i spent hours reading fourms here ive read about plucking..bad behaviour weaning periods life expectancy..personality..depedancy on the owner etc etc..and i still dont think im educated enough im currently waiting for some books that ive orderd (ones that were recommend by other members here in this fourm) to learn more as judy said if its ur first bird start with a diffrent species maybe a cocktiel or an indian ringneck thyre very sweet and smart..or maybe read more about them you never know...i stumbled into alot of fourms here people who just bought an african grey then they log in here really desprate and distraut because they dont know whats going on..look around ask questions here...the real members who have been here for a while will def help you out happy hunting and sorry for the essay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Welcome JP!!! It's great to hear you have been doing research into various Parrots, their individual species characteristics, personalities and needs. What Greys will expect: [li]Your attention[/li] [li]Your attention[/li] [li]Your attention[/li] [li]Patience[/li] [li]Patience[/li] [li]Patience[/li] [li]Unconditional Love[/li] [li]Be viewed as a member of the family[/li] [li]Respect[/li] [li]To be with you in the room you spend the most time in[/li] [li]To be with you when you walk about the house[/li] [li]To be with you when you are trying to cook[/li] [li]To be with you when you need to use the restroom[/li] [li]To be with you when your dressing[/li] [li]To be with you when your when undressing[/li] [li]To be with you when brushing your teeth[/li] [li]To be with you when showering[/li] [li]To be with you while working on your PC[/li] [li]To be with you at all times!![/li] [li]Not to be punished[/li] [li]Not to be yelled at[/li] [li]Not to be hit or slapped at[/li] [li]To have all the best toys and new ones constantly[/li] [li]To shred anything they can[/li] [li]To have fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds through out the day[/li] [li]To join you for dinner[/li] [li]To be protected from people visiting your home[/li] [li]To go on trips with you[/li] [li]Never to be left for 24 hours alone[/li] [li]If a Parrot sitter is required for a vacation. They MUST know Parrots very well[/li] [li]To be taken to the Vet anytime you suspect something is wrong and there can be no dollar limit in finding and treating the illness[/li] [li]To live with you until you or he/she dies at 60 or 70 years of age[/li] If you can accept this list of responsibilities and commit to them unconditionally. Then you are a great candidate to own one of these magnificent and intelligent creatures. If not, then you need to go with dogs, cats or other much simpler pet to care for. I hope this helps. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Dan I love this list, and basically it is for all of your life for the rest of your life they are your lord and master.:laugh: :whistle: :lol: :kiss: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Thanks Judy. LOL - Yes, it is just like having a child all over again. :-) The love you feel is the same, at least for Kim and I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I know the feeling Dan, all too well.:side: :silly: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyGreys Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 danmcq wrote: Thanks Judy. LOL - Yes, it is just like having a child all over again. :-) The love you feel is the same, at least for Kim and I. That goes for me to, i have 4 new kids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpipe Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 wow! I can accept all except: "Never to be left for 24h alone". At least once a year we are going for 10-14 days vacation. I can't promise to have someone checking on the bird every day. It will be more like twice a week thing. If this is uncatchable please tell me. I don't want the bird to suffer. Is there any other parrot that can be left alone for 3-4 days in the cage? Thanks, JP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I can't think of a single bird that would be ok to leave alone for 3-4 days, they need food and fresh water daily. If you do get a grey or some other kind of bird and you go away for longer than 24 hours you are going to have to board it somewhere or have someone come in and take care of it every day while you are gone. Thats what I do and a lot of the other members are in agreement I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Judy is right on. No animal or bird should ever be left without someone visiting them each day to ensure they are safe and have food and water. If you can't find boarding for your pets or someone can't come over everyday, you should not have any pets at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abdullah Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 guys i think he ment if it can be left alone for three days with someone else's supervision for them to go on a vacation personally id take it with you if i can but if its a family visit of some sort as long as u leave it with a friend and not more than two days its fine ''they have to shower him with attention'' my parrot used to get hella nippy at me me if i left for two days ''field trips with the school'' sometimes would even go as far as ignoring me giving me the '''i dont know where uve been for todays i cant be f*ed to care about u lol '' so yah it depends on the situation there was this thread somewhere on the fourm that discuss how long other members have left thier bird with a friend or by it self...ill do a search and post it for you....but from mwhat i heard greys can be bad behaviour prone..and who knows what could happen if u leave it by with someone elses care for a couples of days if its bonded to you...just read a few things in this thread ull be able to understand why everyone is so serious about this...feather plucking comes to mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 jackpipe wrote: At least once a year we are going for 10-14 days vacation. I can't promise to have someone checking on the bird every day. It will be more like twice a week thing. No I think he meant actually leaving it for several days with no one checking on it, thats the way I read it, so no you cannot. An animal whether it is a bird, dog, cat, hamster or whatever pet it is cannot be left more than 24 hours without someone coming in to see that the animal has food and water. At the very least even if it has water in it's bowl it still needs fresh water, wouldn't you want fresh water versus stale water that has been sitting in the bowl for over a day. If he is going to be gone for 10-14 days then the best solution is to have it boarded, places that do that sort of thing know how to handle the pets and properly care for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abdullah Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 oh shoot i thought he meant ''i can promise'' not i cant promise...yikes! id never leave an animal alone for 14 days! and then broadcast to people that is it okay to get one! you cant do that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaJ Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 That list reminds me of something... As my sister found out from getting a dog. I took the bird route and came up with the same conclusion. Pets are the absolute best natural form of birth control ever!<br><br>Post edited by: ScubaJ, at: 2008/01/12 07:08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Hi JP, welcome to the forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fowlgame Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Good post Danmcq- in fact that helps me out knowing all the changes I do have to make before I get a Grey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Yes the list is impressive to say the least and it is all true but having a grey in the household is so rewarding and even though you turn your house upside down for them I wouldn't give up that for all the money in the world.:kiss: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Im am happy everyone has found usefullness in the list posted from personal experience so far. I have a feeling it is going to grow exponentially as Dayo grows older, wiser and fully flighted. :-) Never thought about pets being good birth control, but hey, who am I to argue with that. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Too bad I didn't get the parrots over 40 years ago but then I would have missed out on two wonderful children and three grandchildren and I wouldn't have missed out on that for all the gold in China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyeDJR Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 jackpipe wrote: wow! I can accept all except: "Never to be left for 24h alone". At least once a year we are going for 10-14 days vacation. I can't promise to have someone checking on the bird every day. It will be more like twice a week thing. If this is uncatchable please tell me. I don't want the bird to suffer. Is there any other parrot that can be left alone for 3-4 days in the cage? Thanks, JP Hi JP, This alone leaves me thinking that a bird (any type of companion bird) is not your best choice at this time. If you are unable to commit to ensuring the bird's DAILY care and fulfillment of their needs (food, water, a clean cage, social interaction), even when you go on vacation, I'd suggest that you aren't in a position to take on a parrot (let alone an AG) in a healthy, responsible manner. Don't get me wrong, I don't equate parrot-ownership with "no more vacations" (although, I know a few parrot people who haven't gone on vacation in years because of their birds!). For example, I go away a few times a year. Often it's just for a 3- or 4-day weekend. Occasionally, it's for 1-2 weeks at a time. Once, I had to leave for 2 months. In EVERY instance, I ensured that there was someone there every single day to feed, clean, refresh water (my TAG likes to make water porridge with his pellets so his water often needs to be changed more than daily), and to socialize with the birds. At the VERY LEAST, this consisted of a pet-savvy friend coming over and seeing to the birds' needs. Most often, though, it consists of a paid pre-screened pet-sitter living in my home during my absence (and also caring for my dogs, my cat, and my fish). Without having a pet-sitter like this (visiting, or live-in), I would not go away, and would consider it irresponsible pet ownership if I did and left the birds to their own devices for more than a 24-hr period. Beyond this consideration, my other concern with your initial post is that you want "a bird with personality" and one that you can train, that will sing, etc. What I've come to learn & deeply appreciate after owning my birds and interacting with many other birds (I'm a vet, and have worked at 2 different zoos) is that when we bring these parrots into our home, our expectation OUGHT TO BE that we learn to live with the bird on the bird's terms. If said bird develops the ability to talk (in English; all birds speak fluently in bird!), flourish with training, and so on, that's ICING ON THE CAKE, but shouldn't be the cornerstone on which we judge whether or not a companion bird is working out. Parrots are closer to their wild state in temperament and behavior than the usual mainstream domestic pets (i.e., cats, dogs, ferrets, etc.). When we bring them into our homes, it's my feeling that we should be adjusting our homes to accomodate them, not expecting them to mold to our wishes. After all, they WILL be parrots and WILL use their natural voices, will make (huge at times!) messes, will occasionally (or more frequently) bite, and that's EXPECTED when we open our lives to parrots. It's then our responsibility to attend to their needs (social, nutritional, veterinary), do our best to use positive-methods training to help them adapt in as healthy a way as possible to a life of captivity, and accept the rest as the "cost of signing up" to parrot ownership. It's my belief that if we don't go into parrot ownership with that sort of outlook, we are setting ourselves up for anguish, frustration, and there will be a much higher probability that your "beloved pet parrot" will be rehomed within 3-4 years of acquisition ... when the novelty wears off, the maladaptive parrot behaviors surface (which could include screaming, biting, plucking), and the frustration level gets higher than the person initial thought he/she had signed up for. I personally share my household with 3 parrots: a Timneh AG, and two Amazons. They are parrots first, then they are "my companions". They have bitten me (infrequently, but it has happened), they have been very loud at times, and my TAG has developed (and worked through with positive-methods conditioning) phobic behavior and varying degrees of feather-barbering (which he also gets over when it flares up, by using various positive-based training & husbandry techniques). While all 3 were "cuddly" as babies, they are now "their own birds" and only accept a head skritch on their own terms and their own time. I'm fine with that - they are parrots first, their social needs are largely met with one another's company, and they seem to be healthy, happy, exuberant players (on their own), and will step-up for me and talk to me (on their own time) and can be managed day to day. To me, that is joyful parrot ownership. I wish you all the best in searching for a companion that will fit into your household. If you're willing to commit to attending to a future parrot's daily needs (even when you go away), and to accepting that whatever parrot you acquire may not conform to your wishes re: training, speaking, personality, then you're PERFECT for an AG!!! *g* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Thanks Deanna for a very enlightening post on responsible pet ownership and requirements of parrot owners. I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said and maybe this should be included in the FAQ section for future reference for prospective grey owners. So happy to hear you are a vet, maybe you can give us some advice from time to time and help out with some of the members problems with their greys, any tips and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmcq Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Hi Deanna, What a good and thorough post you contributed. It is great to have an actual Vet and Zoo experience also here on our Forum. If you ever see me posting something wrong, please correct. :-) We all do our best, at helping other members, but in some cases we sure could use the insight from a Vet!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackpipe Posted January 13, 2008 Author Share Posted January 13, 2008 Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experience with me. This forum made me realize that I'm not ready for Grey and will start with the Indian Ringneck. Unfortunately I can't meet some of the requirements from the list and I decided to hold off with my Indian Ringneck. When the time is right I'll get one. Thanks, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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